


Each one there to make you smile

by flightinflame



Series: Marble and Mirrors [5]
Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Regency, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Charles Xavier in a Wheelchair, Christmas, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Kissing, M/M, Mistletoe, Traditions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:14:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28322934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightinflame/pseuds/flightinflame
Summary: It's Christmas. A time for family, in whatever form that takes.
Relationships: Armando Muñoz/Alex Summers, Douglas Ramsey/Warlock, Erik Lehnsherr & Toad, Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier, Kurt Wagner/Warren Worthington III, Logan (X-Men)/Hank McCoy
Series: Marble and Mirrors [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1916608
Comments: 14
Kudos: 27





	Each one there to make you smile

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thanks to DoctorMagenta for betaing! I wrote this very quickly, because I wanted to include something Christmassy in this verse - any remaining mistakes are mine.

Logan was woken before the sun had risen by the sensation of a child landing on his chest, followed a few moments later by the weight of his second child landing on him.

He groaned, attempting to struggle free from both of them, only for Laura to grip onto him tightly, with all of her strength. He groaned, pressing his face into Hank's fur and trying to ignore the children. Apparently, they weren't willing to accept this compromise, and he reluctantly opened his eyes to find Laura and Jace looking down at him with eager expressions on their faces, and bright smiles.

He turned his head away, and yelped when Laura prodded him in the ribs.

"Ow..." He muttered, while Hank sat up. He was never sure how Hank managed to appear together in the mornings, it was certainly beyond him. But he knew he had a job to do. Today was an important day. There were to be no performances, as on Boxing day they had four shows, to entertain all those who had been gifted a precious few hours to spend with their families. But there would be a meal, and singing, and two little girls who were excited about the stockings at the end of the bed.

"Please, Papa," Laura begged, and Jace nodded, glancing around at the holly he had placed around the ceiling, and the mistletoe stuck above the door (now devoid of almost all of its berries, because he and Hank couldn't resist stealing every kiss they could).

Logan gave one final groan, more for the show of it than because he wanted to avoid his children - this was Jace's first Christmas, and he wanted her to feel special, and Laura was very excited. "You can open your stockings now..."

Hank's arm snaked comfortably around his waist as the girls cheered their way through the gifts he had provided - a few new hair ribbons for Jace, an apple for each of them, and some little metal animals that Erik had crafted out of a broken tent-peg.

The girls gripped their toys tightly, playing on the blankets with the little animals, making up a story that Jace enhanced with her illusions. 

It was easy to lean in for another kiss from Hank, glancing to his children and smiling.

"Merry Christmas," Hank murmured, and Logan nodded, reaching beneath the bed and pulling out a large leather-bound book that Charles had donated to his cause. "This is from me. Well, Chuck said you'd want it, and gave it, but I asked."

Hank grinned, already snatching it from his hands and rifling through the pages with almost unseemly eagerness. Logan laughed fondly, grinning even more when Hank kissed his cheek and then returned to the book.

He supposed it fell on him to get the breakfast started, as everyone else was distracted. Laura followed him, her little hand gripping his own, and he squeezed back. "What about your toys?"

"Jace is looking after them," Laura answered, then hugged him tight for a moment and ran back to the caravan. He watched her go, heart full of affection. It had been hard. But they'd made it, together.

***

Doug smiled to himself as he stepped out of the carriage at the corner of Lord Xavier's estate. As far as those who saw him were concerned he was alone, wrapped in a travelling cape and an unusual scarf, both black and threaded through with gold. But as he walked away, an eyestalk peered out. A moment later another emerged, and then a third.

"Not yet," he warned, and the eyestalks retracted sulkily. It was a wonder of his life with Warlock that he could identify such emotion from such a movement. But he ran a soothing hand over the mass of wires that made up his soulfriend, and felt Warlock's body purr contentedly in response. It wasn't far to the large manor building, and he saw the carriage disappear around the corner.

"Alright, you can come out now," Doug said when the carriage was out of sight, feeling the warmth of Warlock's body slide down from his shoulders and reform on the ground beside him in a shape that approximated that of a man. He reached out, and Warlock's fingers wrapped around his own.

Lord Xavier had a sister who was a mutant. He knew what life could be like for them, and he worked with Doug to free them. He understood about Doug's skill with languages, which came across as almost unnatural, and he welcomed even Warlock. The Lord's adopted daughter was gifted, and several of his servants had mutations. 

The manor was the only place outside of their home where it was safe for Warlock to be out, and it was always a delight to be able to walk hand in hand with his soulfriend.

The door opened, thanks to Lord Xavier's close friend and companion, a Prussian gentleman named Lehnsherr, who Lord Xavier had written about rather extensively. He and his son were currently resident within the manor. Warlock shrunk down, afraid, but if Lehnsherr was startled by seeing a mutant, he gave no sign of it.

"Come in, warm yourself by the fire. The children are just opening the last of their presents..." the Prussian's voice was warmer than he had expected from what he had read in Lord Xavier's letters, and he smiled brightly. "We will be with you soon."

Doug nodded, feeling everso grown up as he went to stand by the fire, one of Lord Xavier's servants fetching him a glass of wine and offering one to Warlock. Warlock shook his head, looking around in wonder at all the greenery on display.

Doug always tried to celebrate the season, placing a branch of holly on a shelf, but Lord Xavier's entrance hall was bedecked with greenery and light, candles shimmering. His eyes widened as he caught sight of some mistletoe, dragging Warlock over to it. Warlock looked at him, and then at the mistletoe, a hungry tendril reaching up towards it. Doug shook his head, and smiled. "I'm sure you can eat some of it later. But this is for kissing."

Warlock scowled. "SelfsoulfriendDoug, Mistletoe is poisonous to humans."

"We don't... we don't kiss the mistletoe," Doug told him, feeling his face heat a little in a way unrelated to the wine. "We kiss each other."

"Oh." Warlock beeped softly, leaning down for a kiss, and Doug held his soulfriend close, trying to ignore the fact he was trailing a thin cord to a branch of holly which was slowly turning to metal.

***

Mortimer concentrated very hard on the task he had been set. He had been given a bowl of popcorn, and a bowl of raisins, and he needed to thread both of them onto a string using a needle. Beside him, Lady Jean and Scott were both doing the same. Jean kept eating her raisins.

"You can have some," she told him. "I promise...." 

He swallowed. He still felt nervous, but he squared his shoulders, and flicked out his tongue, grabbing a piece of popcorn from the top of the bowl. Jean giggled, but there was no nastiness in her, simply amusement at him, and he smiled back. He continued with his work, pausing only when he heard a commotion coming down the corridor.

"You told me you don't celebrate," Lord Xavier was muttering. "And this is ridiculous-"

"It's a Prussian tradition." Mister Erik replied, sounding a little muffled. "And the children will enjoy it."

"It's ridiculous-" Lord Xavier muttered, as a walking tree made its way into the room.

The tree positioned itself in the corner, metal forming a ring around the base, and Mister Erik stepped out from behind it. The tree immediately started to shed some needles on the floorboards.

"I insist you explain why you have brought the forest into my home." Lord Xavier was muttering, wheeling after Mister Erik. But he paused when Mister Erik reached for his hand.

"I thought it would be nice for the children. They've made some decorations, we can wrap them around the tree and add some candles, and then they've got this to enjoy with their gifts, while we have a meal with Lady Frost, young Ramsey and whoever else you have invited."

Lord Xavier sighed and nodded. "As long as I don't have to tidy up after it."

"Of course not." Mister Erik produced some metal from his pocket, and set about decorating the tree, adding the popcorn strings, and then positioning small candles along some of the larger branches. Mortimer thought it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. 

He could smell delicious food in the kitchen, and he was excited because he knew he would be permitted to eat some of it, and then Mister Erik walked off and returned with a sackful of toys. Most were for the Lady Jean, but there were some books with large letters for Scott, and some tin soldiers.

Mister Erik held out a package, neatly wrapped and tied with a bow. "Here you go, Mortimer..." He opened it, his eyes widening when he saw the books within. "Thank you Mistah Erik," he gasped, running his fingers carefully over the fine pages. "These're beautiful."

"You deserve them, Mortimer. There's another gift, this is from me and Charles-" He handed over what had to be the most incredible paint-set in the world, a vast array of colours all lined up in little boxes. "You have a talent, Mortimer. I'd love to encourage it. There are some canvases as well..."

Mortimer stared. The books and paints were the most wonderful things he had ever seen, and he rushed forwards to embrace Mister Erik tightly, feeling Mister Erik hug him back just as hard. When he stepped back, he tried to blink away his tears, and Mister Erik squeezed his hand.

"There was a new poem that is very popular this year," Lord Xavier explained. "I'd like to read it to you all if I may."

The children gathered around, and Mortimer also moved closer, smiling shyly when Lord Xavier nodded to him and then began to read. "T'was the night before Christmas, and all through the house..."

***

Alex was pretty much exhausted. He'd got up early to clean, as Darwin was occupied with the cooking, and had been decorating and preparing everything for the meal this evening. He understood of course - of the two of them Darwin was by far the better cook, and the sheer number of mutants and gifted in the house meant that Charles had to keep his staff small. It was tiring though.

He rushed through, having provided young Mister Ramsey with a glass of wine, to find Darwin setting the table for the meal.

"I could have done that."

"I know..." Darwin grinned. "Did you talk to Scott about tomorrow."

"I did," Alex agreed. "He said yes."

Darwin reached out and pulled him into a kiss, and Alex went gladly, brushing his lips against Darwin's. Tomorrow, the two of them had the day off. Alex's parents had died when he was a child, but Darwin had invited him and his brother to spend the day with his parents and siblings. Alex's heart raced with excitement at the thought of it.

Darwin pulled away with a reluctant sigh. "I'd better go and check on everything, can you let Charles know we're nearly ready-"

Alex nodded, glancing over to the window, then frowning. "One of the trees is missing."

"I think I saw Erik carry it inside," Darwin answered, which explained nothing and only raised more questions. Still, Alex couldn't complain. If Charles and Erik wanted a tree inside, then they deserved it. And when he saw how pretty it looked, he found he approved.

***

Kurt felt most comfortable when he was perched on top of the big-top, safe from the world yet able to survey the place he had come to know as home. He leaned back against one of the tent poles, his tail wrapped around to help him keep his balance, and smiled at the familiar sound of wingbeats approaching, above the noise of the carols.

Warren landed beside him, as graceful as ever, and reached out for Kurt's hand. Kurt took it, running one misshapen thumb over Warren's delicate skin, and smiled. "Merry Christmas to all.."

Warren stretched his beautiful wings up into the air, before leaning in for a kiss. Kurt gave himself over to it gladly, struck by the tenderness that Warren always showed to him. Warren's arms looped around him, and a moment later they were airbourne. He yelped in startled surprise, but clutched tighter, clinging to him. He could hear Warren's laughter over the steady thrum of his wingbeats, and they circled the camp. Below, the younger mutants were partying beside a large fire, and the adults were busy cooking. Kurt knew he should offer to help, but the most beautiful man he had ever seen was holding him close, and he allowed himself to lean in and steal another gentle kiss.

Warren smiled against his lips, whispering the final words of the poem that Kurt had been reading earlier in the day in the book Warren had gifted him, before soaring up higher and higher until Kurt was clinging to him and laughing.

"And to all a good night."

**Author's Note:**

> Twas the night before Christmas was published in 1823 - a little late for a Regency poem, but it was cute. Also decorating a tree only became common in England and America in the 1840s onwards, but was common in what is now Germany prior to that. Again, not all of this is accurate, but I prioritised telling a good story. Thank you for reading, and I wish all of you the best for the festive season and into the new year. If you've enjoyed, please do comment.


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